1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the art of rack and pinion steering gear with ball joints on the ends of the rack bar encased in tubular housings preloading the joint bearings and deformed into fixed engagement with the rack bar.
2. Prior Art
Rack bars of rack and pinion steering assemblies have heretofore been connected to tie rod wheel turning linkages by expensive and complicated joints housed in heavy forged or machined casings closed by end plugs bottoming wear takeup springs for the joints and having threaded connections with the rack bar. Attempts to use ball and socket couplings on the ends of the rack bar or rack and pinion steering assembly have not been successful because of excessive wear between the ball stud and the socket bearing wall, and because of the excessive high unit pressure loads on low projected areas of bearing surface. Hardening of the bearing surfaces to better resist wear resulted in brittle stud shanks which could break under shock loads with disastrous results in the steering linkage. Attempts to take up wear on the joint by means of spring-loaded bearing seats and the like have not been successful because springs introduced end play, or "softness", in the linkage, and prevented positive steering reaction.